1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field):
The present invention relates to emergency response vehicles, in particular to a small, maneuverable, motorized (combustible fuel and/or electrical) vehicle for transporting and spreading water and/or fire-fighting substances, such as, but not limited to, liquid, powder, foam, gas and/or gel, that is particularly useful for quick response to fires in situations where larger and more cumbersome traditional fire-fighting vehicles cannot gain access.
2. Background Art
Fires are an ever-present threat to forests, buildings, homes and a variety of structures. Fires can also occur on bodies of water, such as when chemicals or oil have accumulated in them. Electrical fires and hazardous materials present further fire-fighting challenges in containing and eliminating the fire. One of the most difficult aspects of fighting a fire is accessibility. Remote areas deep within forests and narrow alleyways leading to secluded portions of buildings are examples of areas where prior art fire-fighting vehicles either have extreme difficulty accessing or cannot access at all due to their large heavy size and cumbersome nature. Additionally, areas that are largely surrounded by fire where victims may be trapped are inaccessible to prior art fire-fighting vehicles.
In order to access these types of areas, fire-fighting personnel themselves proceed on foot and sometimes get near extremely dangerous flames and high-heat areas in order to contain and eliminate fires, and rescue victims, thereby putting themselves in danger. These individuals have a limited ability to carry fire-fighting equipment to the area of interest and it is also highly difficult to replenish their supplies. In forest fire situations, fire fighters are often not allowed nor able to proceed near the target area but are instead required to stay a distance away from the fire. In these instances they often start “back” fires and clear areas for larger equipment and vehicles to pass through, thereby allowing the fire to consume large areas before being contained or eliminated.
Prior art fire-fighting vehicles typically carry water in large tanks, hoses, and pumps for distributing the water and/or fire-fighting powders, foams, gases, and/or gels onto the affected areas. However, even the smaller vehicles, such as four-wheel drive and all-terrain vehicles that have been equipped with tanks, pumps and hoses, are limited in their ability to access areas secluded by rough terrain or narrow clearance. The technology currently available is largely designed to fight fires in areas having sophisticated infrastructure, such as in cities with wide and level streets, that do not require the vehicle to be highly maneuverable, making tight turns and progressing over rough terrain.
Furthermore, prior art fire-fighting vehicles are not equipped for additional features that are critical in fire-fighting situations, such as the ability to carry in a crew of fire-fighting individuals; transport vast quantities of water, powder, foam, gas, and/or gel; carry out victims; protect the fire-fighters who are operating the vehicle; and in particular, they are not equipped for efficient maintenance of the vehicle and equipment on the scene or for fast and easy replenishment of supplies. Prior art vehicles are further not equipped to respond to a variety of emergency situations in addition to fires; for example, the ability to move through crowds in riot situations, protecting the occupants of the vehicle and providing crowd control with a water stream.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,146 to Brown, entitled “Fire Fighting All Terrain Vehicle,” discloses an example of prior art vehicles that have been developed in an attempt to address this need for improved accessibility to fires. Brown describes an all-terrain vehicle having two tanks, at least four wheels, an improved turning radius, small size, and improved accessibility over rough terrain. However, Brown does not address those critical additional needs set forth above.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of prior art fire-fighting vehicles and provides a variety of critical features making it an all-purpose and highly functional piece of equipment.